General Surgery Privileges for Trauma Surgeons at Florida Trauma Centers
The Florida Committee on Trauma (FCOT) advocates for optimal care of trauma patients. The core of trauma care in any trauma center is a robust and highly qualified panel of trauma surgeons. Trauma surgeons are, by definition, fully trained General Surgeons that have obtained additional experience or training specific to the care of injured patients.
It is the position of the FCOT that trauma surgeons at Florida trauma centers are to have full and unrestricted privileges in General Surgery. The credentialing process in individual trauma centers through which a trauma surgeon is granted full and unrestricted General Surgery privileges must be the same as for any other general surgeon at that facility.
The FCOT position is consistent with the requirements of the Florida Department of Health and American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Florida Trauma Center Standards Department of Health Pamphlet 150-9 and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma 2022 Standards document "Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient" require that trauma surgeons have full and unrestricted privileges in General Surgery. A trauma center must adhere to this criterion and standards to be designated as a trauma center in Florida and to be verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
Florida Trauma Standards and American College of Surgeons requirements are excerpted below:
Standard II.D Qualifications of Leadership Staff
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Trauma medical director
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Proof of board certification in general surgery.
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Documentation that the hospital granted the medical director full and unrestricted privileges to provide general surgical and trauma care surgical services for adult and pediatric patients.
Standard III.A General or Pediatric Surgery
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Evidence shall be on file that clearly describes the qualifications of each trauma surgeon to be a member of the trauma service and to take trauma calls. At a minimum, this evidence shall include the following….
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Documentation that the hospital granted the general surgeon full and unrestricted privileges to provide general surgical and trauma care surgical services for adult and pediatric patients….
4.1 Trauma Surgeon Requirements - Type II
Definition and Requirements
Trauma surgeons must have direct patient care responsibilities at the institution and must meet the following qualifications….
Since trauma surgeons have experience or training beyond that of general surgery, additional requirements may be instituted to grant privileges for trauma surgery, at the discretion of the trauma program leadership and as outlined in both the American College of Surgeons "Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient" and the Florida Department of Health Trauma Center Standards Pamphlet 150-9.
This position paper is adopted unanimously by the Executive Committee of the FCOT, consisting of the Florida COT Chair, all current Vice-Chairs and has the concurrence of the Past Chairs of the FCOT.
On behalf of the Florida Committee on Trauma,
Peter A Pappas MD FACS
Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Professor
University of Central Florida
College of Medicine
Orlando, FL
Ralph Barker, MD, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Morsani College of Medicine
University of South Florida
Trauma Medical Director
HCA Florida Blake Hospital
Bradenton, FL
Patricia M. Byers, MD, FACS
Past Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Past President, Florida Chapter American College of Surgeons
Past Trauma Medical Director, Florida Department of Health
Professor of Surgery
DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, FL
Gary Curcio, MD, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Morsani College of Medicine
University of South Florida
Chair, Department of Surgery
Lawnwood Regional Medical Center
Fort Pierce, FL
John Draus, MD, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Division Chief, Surgery
Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville
Wolfson Children's Hospital
Jacksonville, FL
David Ebler, MD, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Trauma Medical Director - UF Health Jacksonville
Medical Director - TraumaOne Flight Services
Associate Professor of Surgery
University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville
Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery
Jacksonville, FL
Luis Llerena, MD, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Professor of Surgery
Morsani College of Medicine
University of South Florida
Medical Director
Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation
Tampa, FL
Lawrence Lottenberg, MD, FACS
Past Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Trauma and Acute Care Surgeon
St. Mary's Medical Center
West Palm Beach, FL
Clinical Professor of Surgery
Chairman Department of Surgery
Director Surgical Simulation and Technology
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
Nicholas Namias, MD, MBA, FACS, FCCM, FSIS
Past Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Professor and Chief, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care
Robert Zeppa Endowed Chair in Trauma Surgery
Vice Chair for Quality and Patient Experience, Daughtry Family Department of Surgery
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Medical Director, Ryder Trauma Center, Jackson Memorial Hospital
President of the Medical Staff, Jackson Health System
Louis R. Pizano MD, MBA, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Professor of Surgery and Anesthesiology
Director, Miami Burn Center
Director, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program
DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, FL
R. Stephen Smith, MD, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Professor of Surgery
University of Florida
Advisor, UF Regional Trauma Program
Former Medical Director, UF/Shands Level 1 Trauma Center
Gainesville, FL
Tracy Zito, MD, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Florida Committee on Trauma
Trauma Medical Director & Regional Director, Trauma Program Development
Department of Surgery
Orlando Regional Medical Center
Orlando, FL
Adopted: June 14, 2023
